Part B News Features
Question: What are some red flags associated with modifier 25 (Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician on the same day of the procedure or other ... More
Recent changes mandated by Congress and CMS that boost the status of physician assistants (PA) — or physician associates, as some groups prefer — is another sign that the providers formerl... More
While the growth in numbers and earning power of nurse practitioners (NP) and physician associates (PA) is impressive, perhaps their most important advance is in state laws allowing them to practice... More
Question: What are some red flags associated with modifier 25 (Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician on the same day of the procedure or other ... More
Recent changes mandated by Congress and CMS that boost the status of physician assistants (PA) — or physician associates, as some groups prefer — is another sign that the providers formerl... More
While the growth in numbers and earning power of nurse practitioners (NP) and physician associates (PA) is impressive, perhaps their most important advance is in state laws allowing them to practice... More
Tools
Find the latest list of designated health services (DHS) that are subject to the Stark physician self-referral rule’s restriction on referrals. The new list went into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
Get a head start on revisions to codes in the E/M, cardiovascular, radiology and medicine chapters of the 2026 CPT Manual. The following chart contains the current and revised long descriptors for codes that CMS released in the proposed 2026 Medicare physician fee schedule and intends to assign an active (A) payment status
Benchmark of the Week
While the growth in numbers and earning power of nurse practitioners (NP) and physician associates (PA) is impressive, perhaps their most important advance is in state laws allowing them to practice with limited and even no physician oversight (see related story, p 3).
Deciding whether to use modifier 50 (Bilateral procedure) or modifiers LT/RT (Left side/right side) requires a little forethought and sometimes homework. Still, in 2024, the most recent year of available Medicare figures, it appears providers didn’t do too badly — though some codes proved more of a challenge.
Learning Opportunities

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